Motherly Teachings
by PlaySetQ
Summary: If Mebuki took more of a serious roll in Sakura's earlier years. (Basically, Sakura's mother pays attention when Sakura doesn't eat to impress a boy, throws away her best friend and is bullied.) In result Sakura discovers the strength and backbone we wished she had in the actual series.


**Motherly Teachings**

Summary: If Mebuki took more of a serious roll in Sakura's earlier years. (Basically, Sakura's mother pays attention when Sakura doesn't eat to impress a boy, throws away her best friend and is bullied.) In result Sakura discovers the strength and backbone we wished she had in the actual series.

Rough Date: July 17, 2016

Edited/Posted: Dec. 26, 2016

A/N: I don't a have beta and as you can see this is an old WIP I never posted, therefore there's going to mistakes – sorry in advance.

 **To Clear Things Up**

 **This is not meant bash Sakura as a child.**

 **The** childish **things Sakura did was she was** child **will be brought up** because **this is a fanfic about her** childhood **and her mother actually helping her overcome her** **insecurities.** **Children do get irrational ideas in their heads (especially about love, especially if they're a twelve year old girl _thinking_ she in love \- I know that from experience). I'm sorry if that upsets anyone.**

* * *

It's a phenomenal thing to hold one's child for the first time. Her baby was so small and red faced and beautiful in the way only a mother could understand. When Mebuki took that baby into her arms for the first time and held the crying thing tight to her bosom with sweat beading down the side of her face, she made a promise to the tiny growing, innocent thing in her arms. The promise to be the best parent possible for her baby girl – through hell and high water.

Mebuki Haruno didn't go through nine months of nausea, obscure cravings, being uncomfortable in places she didn't even know she could be and spend seven long hours in labour to be a bad parent. If Mebuki was going to have a child, then she resolved, she'd be the best mother anyone could ask for.

"Her name?" The Nurse asks, a pen in her right hand and a clip board in left.

"Sakura Haruno." Mebuki answers smiling down at the baby in her arms.

x

The first few months were terrible. Sakura was a cranky little thing that required attention all the damn time. The attention seeking coupled with a horrendous tamper the size of Fire Country was enough to thoroughly beat down the first-time parents.

"I hope," Kizashi spoke dejectedly as he held his whaling baby girl in his arms, "that she grows out of this."

Mebuki switches her attention from the eggs she's frying over to the showdown happening in the mordantly sized living room. She snorts as she watches her husband try to wrestle their daughter into her day clothes (a pretty red dress with white flats and a yellow bow-tie hair clip to stick in the little tuff of pink hair she'd grown).

"I hope not." Mebuki pats down her apron, straitening out the wrinkles and wiping off her hands and she tightens her pony tail.

Kizashi regards his wife with a bewildered expression, motioning with his eyes to his still whaling daughter back to his wife.

"I think our daughter's going to be an opinionated young lady with a punch that send boy's running. _Away_." Mebuki's expression darken and her eyes narrow into a glare. Surely thinking about all the ways she was going to _discipline_ anyone who even glances at her darling baby in the wrong way. Kizashi sends a pitying look towards his daughter.

"Say goodbye to your love life kid." Kizashi pats her head and finally puts the cute outfit away, pulling her back into the turtle onesie that she's loves so much. "You're never going to be able to bring home anyone without your mother chasing them away."

Mebuki slaps her husband lightly on the back of his arm. "Only the ones that treat her badly." Mebuki corrects the earlier assessments as she puts the eggs on their respective circular plates.

"So, everybody?" Kizashi looks back at Mebuki, wiggling his eyebrow.

Mebuki punches him on the back of the arm hard this time.

"Ouch!" He pouts rubbing his injured arm, "She so mean to me." He complains to Sakura.

Sakura giggles and promptly shoves her foot into her month.

Time passed and her little baby grew from a baby into a toddler and bloomed into a knobby knee of a girl with her father's ridiculous pink hair and her mother's green's eyes.

x

As Sakura grew so did their family business. Kizashi slowly became busier and busier and stressed out. Mebuki became distracted by her work and at the same time, trying to keep up with household chores and balancing time with her daughter. However, slowly the latter became shorter and shorter as Mebuki found a reliable babysitter.

"Sakura, how was Rika's?" Mebuki asked absent-mindedly as she held out her hand for her daughter to take.

"Fine," Sakura muttered, shrugging her small shoulder as she took her mother's hand.

Mebuki weaved between the evening rush of citizens coming from work and heading home. Interest pecked and if not a little concerned as well, Mebuki's eyebrows furrowed.

"Your hair isn't tuck behind your ear." Mebuki states pointing out the difference. Sakura walks with her head down like she's trying to hide behind her hair. "I thought you didn't like it like that, because you can't see when it's in front of your eyes?"

"I changed my mind." Sakura fibbed, shrugging her should again.

Mebuki sighed, nodding her head. They were going to have a talk when they get home.

But for now, "I have some extra pocket money, maybe we could stop at the bookstore before we go home?"

Sakura's face lit up and she smiles, "Really?" Her grip tightens on her mother's hand.

"You're the best mom!"

And Mebuki tries not to act concerned when her daughter begs her to buy _Ninja: The Basics_ ('a guide to the basics of the basics, a novel meant for starting ninjas and curious citizens. Are you interested in the history, culture and rules of Ninjas? Then this is the book for you!') instead of the usual fantasy novels she loves.

x

"Mom," Sakura pauses in drying the plate in her hand. The rug was rough and well-used and she grips it tight, squeezing tightly to settle her nerves. She lowers her eyes to the floor, staring at the tips of her tiny four-year-old sized toes. "Is… is my forehead really that big?"

In one universe, Mebuki smiles at her daughter in a way that was supposed to be reassuring and tells her, that no her forehead wasn't too big for her face and that she was beautiful just the way was. Then, Mebuki would pass her daughter the next dish to dry.

The words would give Sakura confidence in herself until the next day when the kids are teasing her again about her forehead – but it's not just about her forehead this time, they say all kinds of mean and horrible things that no child should be told, called and taunted by.

That Sakura would sit on the curve of the sidewalk with tears dripping down her face, (that confidence from last night ripped to shards. The kind words from her mother forgotten) wondering what the word beautiful really means, and how she was suppose to archive it (she'd also wondered about that cold, chilling feeling in her stomach and what that meant – as she grew Sakura would come to associate that feeling with loneliness, once when her teammate left and the second time in the aftermath of it.) How she supposed to make herself _desirable._ Because that's apparently how you made friends.

In this reality, Mebuki stops washing the dishes. She pulls off her neon yellow rubber gloves and leaves them to dry on the counter.

Here, Mebuki takes her daughter's hand and leads her over to Mebuki's bedroom. At Sakura's questioning look, Mebuki smiles. "We can finish the dishes later; this is more important."

Mebuki sits her daughter down in front of the white vanity. She peers into the huge oval, white framed mirror. A wide forehead, thin lips like her mother's, green eyes – those were her mother's too, her cheeks chubby with baby fat and a perk little nose in the very center of it all pieced together Sakura staring back at her from the soft cushion of the vanity seat.

Mebuki places her hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Sakura, do you the most important thing that you have to remember about your appearance. Or, well the two most important things?"

"To wash behind your ears?" The clueless child guessed, absently scratching behind her right ear.

Mebuki grins, "The important too. But Sakura – listen to me I'm trying to teach you something." Mebuki brings Sakura's attention back to herself, getting the child to stop picking behind her ear.

"It doesn't matter."

Sakura blinks confused, tilting her head. "It doesn't matter?" She glances curiously in the mirror.

"You should still take care of yourself. Fancying up and treating yourself is always fun to do once in awhile. But, Sakura on the grand scream of things it's more important that whatever in here –" Mebuki places her hand over Sakura's heart, "is gorgeous and healthy."

"My heart?"

Mebuki nods seriously, picking up her brush running it through short pink hair. "A good heart, one that's nice and kind, and loving is always beautiful. A heart that's filled with hate, anger and jealousy is ugly – there's no happiness there Sakura, only hurt."

Sakura winces when the brush catches a knot in her hair. Mebuki stubbornly pulls the brush through, make sure to squeeze at the top of the strains so Sakura wouldn't feel it.

"I still don't understand." Sakura frowns in the mirror, "how does having a good heart make me beautiful?"

She tried a different approach, "Beauty is something like the ocean, Sakura. It's gigantic and has multiple layers. It doesn't matter what the surfaces looks like, rough and dirty, flat and pretty, or clear and majestic. The surface - the waves don't matter because underneath is a magnitude of sea life and depth."

Her daughter nods and Mebuki puts the brush back into her vanity drawer.

"Besides," Mebuki said, "if you really love someone the way they look won't matter."

Sakura presses the pam of her hand into her heart curiously. "The heart's the part of you that determines beauty?"

Mebuki noded and beamed at her daughter. "Don't you dare go making friends with anyone would thinks differently." She warns, "people like that aren't good for you."

"One day," Mebuki predicts, running her finger tips through Sakura's silky hair stands, "You're going to meet someone with a heart that radiate love. Whatever you do, don't let go of them."

(A blonde haired boy with a bucket of orange paint in his hand and a paint brush in the other, sneezes).

x

The next day Sakura's confronted by her bullies _(her demons),_ this Sakura spots the trouble from miles away and sees that awful smirk on her bully's face and doesn't hesitate to say something about it.

"I feel bad for you." She said, with her new found confidence. "If you're picking on other people because you want to make them feel bad then, that must mean your hearts hurting loads. But, my hearts not hurting – not anymore."

Sakura with her hair tied back, forehead in full-view, picks up her book and finds another tree near-by to read under.

From then on, that spot became Sakura's Spot. She rather liked it. The huge tree provided a great amount of shade in the hot summer days and the trunk was perfect for leaning on. She mostly read, ignoring the groups of children playing on the various play equipment assorted throughout the park her Spot happened to be.

Sometimes, she would watch over the top edge of the book she taken for the day. New-found confidence or not. Sakura was still shy and a bookworm. She hadn't really had a true friend before, and she had no idea how to integrate herself into one of the numerous groups of youth surrounding her.

And all that changed one day, when a blonde haired girl asked if she wanted to pick flowers with her.

x

"Mom!" Sakura cried out, practically hauling a little blonde girl up to her doorstep.

Mebuki glanced up, broom in hand, sweeping the entrance way. She leans the broom against her side, and runs a hand through her bangs.

"Sakura?" Mebuki smiled indulgently, "Oh? Who's your friend?"

"Mom," Saukra beamed at her parent, "This is Ino Yamanaka. And she's not just my friend, she's my _best_ friend – she's also staying for dinner." Sakura tells her mother.

"Oh?" Mebuki raised her eyebrow, "And who decided this?"

"Me." Sakura said, shrugging her shoulders. It only now occurring she should've probably asked her mother if Ino could stay over before she invited the girl over.

"Really now? And Ino's parents are okay with this?" Mebuki needled, taking the broom back into her hand.

The two girls nod and confirm that, _yeah mom Ino's parents' gave her permission._ And after a small and polite, _it's nice to meet you_ from Sakura's friend, Mebuki let them into the house.

Mebuki hummed as she finished up sweeping. It was about time Sakura made a friend. Maybe it'll be 'friends' in the future.

"Well," Mebuki sighed aloud, "those things come with time."

x

"Mom, I wanna talk about something." Sakura shrugs off her shoes, a book tucked under her arm. Another one about ninjas, Mebuki notices.

"What it is sweetie?" She asked patiently, taking a break from sorting the financial documents in front of her (taxes is the bane of her existence).

Sakura takes a deep breath and raised her head and held it high. "I wanna be a ninja, and I wanna go to the academy. Like Ino." She stated, with that look in her eyes that let's Mebuki know she determined.

"You realize how serious of a decision this is Sakura?" Mebuki frowned, and rested her chin her hand. "You do realize how dangerous being a ninja is?"

"I know, mom – but I…" Sakura paused gathering her resolve, "I wanna be a ninja like Ino. I don't want to be left behind!"

"Ah," Mebuki hummed, "I guess we could get you signed up tomorrow, if you clean your room and bring your dirty laundry downstairs."

"Really?" Sakura smiled big, her face going as red as her hair, pleased. "You're the best mom!" She threw herself at her mom, and circled her arms around her mother's waist. She squeezed tight, giving a strong hug.

"Sakura! Weren't you listening? _If_ you clean your room young lady!" Mebuki half-heartedly scolded, as she put her hands on her hips.

"Got it, mom!" Sakura yelled. She raced up the stairs like hellhounds were nipping at her ankles.

 _Well,_ thought Mebuki in a worried manner, _might as well have hellhounds chasing her if she really going to be ninja._

"Don't forget to bring down your dirty laundry!"

x

"Ah, Sakura your hair's getting longer. I think it's time we went to go get it cut." Mebuki bought up, and tried to run a hand through her daughter's hair. Sakura dodged the hand, swatting at the appendage like one would a perky bee. Mebuki smiled indulgently.

"No thanks mom. It's pretty how it is." Sakura said, confidently. "In fact I want it to be longer." She motioned down to the middle of her back, "Maybe somewhere around there?" She bit her lip and pondered.

"You've never wanted to grow it out before." Mebuki commented and continued to place flodered laundry on the end of her daughter's bed.

"That's because I wasn't a lady before. Plus, growing out your hair is _in_ now, all the other girls at the academy are doing it too." Sakura fluttered her eyelids in the mirror and pulled her shoulder length hair over to the side. "Besides, everybody knows Sasuke likes girls with long hair."

Mebuki left her daughter's room with an empty laundry basket and wondering just who 'Sasuke' was.

x

"Sakura you didn't eat half your lunch!" Mebuki furiously pointed at the lunch and glared at her daughter.

"Relax mom! I ate more than half of it, really no reason for you to scold me." Sakura reasoned unware of her parent's rising ire.

"You should be eating all of it Sakura. Your father and I work hard to put food on the table!" Mebuki shook her head and crossed her arms. "There are some people in the world that are starving you should be grateful that we have enough money to have food!"

"Whatever," Sakura scoffs, mirroring her mother by crossing her own arms, "I'm just going on a diet."

"Sakura your nine, you don't need to go on a diet." Mebuki stated and continued watching her daughter with a disapproving gaze.

"I just feel better when I don't eat as much," Sakura shrugged, still refusing to meet her mother's eyes. "Besides," Sakura muttered under her breath, "Sasuke probably likes skinny girls better."

"I'm done hearing about it Sakura." Her mother decided. "You're eating whatever I pack for you, and you will eat all of it and that's final. You are a nine-year-old ninja in training, after running around all day you need to eat."

Sakura glanced at her mother with disdain and then at the fatty food untouched from her lunch.

"I'll buy healthier alternatives." Mebuki resolved, sending Sakura up to bed and eating the left over food herself.

x

Sakura marched down the stairs and huffed, dragging her feet into the living room. She let out a loud sighed and flopped down onto the comfortable seat of the beige couch beside her mother.

Mebuki rolled her eyes at her daughter's clearly overdramatic attitude. She shook her head and smiled a little.

"I'm bored." Sakura emitted, gloomily staring at the cream walls. "So bored I could watch paint dry."

"Well why don't you invite someone over? Or, better yet, invite someone to go out?" Mebuki suggested and sipped at her cup of afternoon tea.

Sakura made a sound of vague frustration. "Everyone has plans!" She exclaims, throwing her hands up. "Yuu's at her grandparents, Mika's on her way to her aunt in Suna, Shiona's grounded – "

"Grounded?" Mebuki echoed, not that she knew the small girl well, Shiona was the most adventurous of Sakura's friends. Whenever she did come over, the two didn't usually end up sticking around for long.

"Yeah, _apparently,"_ Sakura said, "her parents were being restrictive and wouldn't let her sleepover at her 'guy friend's,'" Sakura paused to add in, "Not that she could tell or point out who exactly this friend is, but anyway. She ran off and ended up staying the night at Yuu's, and Shiona's parents were furious. So, long story short she's grounded for like the whole month."

"And Sasuke," Sakura continued, "is probably off somewhere training." The sigh she makes afterwards is a mix of irritation and admiration.

"What about Ino? I haven't seen her over here in a while." Mebuki commented, there's a pinch motherly inquiry. The same sort of inquiry that one would receive when asked "Are the dishes done?" You know they aren't and somehow your mother knows they aren't and you both know you're about to get in a lot of trouble.

Sakura makes a face. "Ino and I aren't friends anymore, mom. We're rivals now."

"Rivals?" Mebuki repeats, like the word was a foreign one. "I see," She said, thinking it was probably a 'ninja thing' "I still don't understand why you can't hang out with someone you're competing with at school Sakura. It's a good thing your dictated to becoming a ninja but that doesn't mean you and Ino can't be friends."

"No, mom. Ino and I aren't ninja rivals." Sakura corrected, absently thinking about a blonde haired boy and her crush. "We're love rivals!"

"Love rivals?" Mebuki blinked.

"I like Sasuke, like, I _love_ him." Sakura's face goes as red as her hair and she giggles near the end. "But so does Ino." She said with a frown, "Therefore we're rivals."

"Sakura, that's not how love works." Mebuki sobered, metaphorically popping her daughter's bubble.

"What?" Sakura tilted her head, she frowned again.

"You can't win love my dear." Mebuki started, gently brushing her fingers through her daughter's hair. "Love is a complicated beast of thing, it doesn't make sense and you certainly can't force anyone to love you. No matter how hard you try."

"But, I want Sasuke to love me." Sakura voice broke a little and her eyes got a little wetter.

"I think you're in love with the idea of being loved." Mebuki stated, "And even if you were in love Sasuke, every girl knows it's sisters before misters."

"Sisters before misters?" Sakura parroted.

"Friendship over romance." Mebuki supplied, "Friends are more likely to last and stick by your side than flimsy romance."

"I think I understand." Sakura replied as she stood, pulling on her shoes and a light jacket.

"Where are you going?" Mebuki asked even though she already suspected the answer.

"To talk to Ino." Sakura yelled out through the closing door.

x

"Ino, I don't want to be romantic rivals anymore. I want to be your _ninja_ rival."

x

And when Sakura came home with a smile on her face with the hidden leaf headband tied tightly to her forehead, pushing her bangs back, Mebuki went out and bought the best for her daughter. Technically, Sakura was an adult now, but that wouldn't stop her mother from trying to aid her through Hell or high water.

x

End.


End file.
